Alwaght-Militants have clashed with security forces in the western Saudi Arabian city of Taif leaving at least one person dead.
According to reports, two militants stabbed to death a traffic policeman and then exchanged gunfire with security forces at a nearby National Guard facility.
The attackers stole the policeman's vehicle and service weapon before entering the military site, according to online news site Sabq, which is seen as close to the Riyadh regime. One attacker was wounded and detained while the other one fled, the report said. Sabq reported additional injuries among the security forces without providing details. The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The identity and motivation of the assailants are currently unknown. Tail city is north east of the Hajj pilgrimage site of Mecca, the holiest place in Islam.
This latest incident comes amid intense rumors in Saudi Arabic over the fate of the kingdom's crown prince and de facto leader Mohammad bin Salman who has not been seen in public since late April 2018 after a shooting incident in a Riyadh palace.
Some sources claimed that the attack on April 21 was part of a coup led by Saudi royals who are opposed to King Salman, while other reports indicated that the shooting occurred when the palace guards targeted a small drone which came too close to Salman’s residence.
Saudi activists said that the shooting al Al Khuzama Palace had nothing to do with the drone, but it was an attack from vehicles carrying heavy machine guns and shooting randomly.
Unconfirmed reports say bin Salman was seriously injured during the incident.
